He Loves Me Or Not
by Silver Icicle
Summary: What if years after the event, Baron needed to be rescued from a marriage and Haru had to face a bride that was more powerful and dangerous than the Cat King! Will Baron be saved or become a bounded groom?
1. Chapter 1

He Loves Me Or Not

Disclaimer: I do not own The Cat Returns or the characters.

Authors Note: Hi Folks, this is my very fist attempt to type up a story. So you might find few errors in it (yah, treasure hunt or grammar hunt, ah whatever) anyways the story will probably be a tad rough but I'll most likely improve as the story continues. Reviews are most welcome if anyone wishes to give me tips or advice. Well, I hope you'll enjoy it!

Chapter 1: Impression on the Past

"Oh my, where in all the heavens could she be?"; a frantic maid by the name of Adia was searching the halls of her mistress's home that resembled the likeness of one of the great man made wonders of the world. The only difference would be that her mistress had her home made entirely out of the precious greenish blue turquoise as a way of bringing joy and life to all who dwell under her protection.

But as of late over the last few centuries, Adia being a personal maid, has noticed that her beloved mistress has become less lively in her routine and more secluded to her prized gardens.

With a sudden stroke of realization, Adia made a hasty retreat towards the lotus garden.

In the large vicinity of where only vegetation was allowed to grow, there sat a petite figure on the limestone bench. A woman who held unlimited power and authority in her wake.

Asides from power, this woman was different from any other. She held in her possession the built and size of a slim human female, but had characteristics resembling a feline.

She contained a fur coat with the color of dark lavender that appeared to almost be black. Claws to her padded hands. A muzzle for a mouth. Triangular ears for sensitive hearing. Whiskers for unseen senses. A small black nose for smell. Finally, a tail that exposed her emotions with every swish in the way.

Those who took into account to gaze at her appearance could tell she was very attractive. She wore a white tunic made from delicate linen with a golden sash tied around her waist. Her shoulder length black hair enticed with perfume and her being practically dripped with jewels and gold to display her high position.

In a state of a trance, she gazed at the surface of the large pool of water. Watching the lotus flowers drift around from one end to the center and finally to the opposite end. In an endless cycle of drifting and never getting anywhere.

In that regard, it reminded the mistress of her existence. Unlike most people, she knew and served her purpose; so long as time and the earth remained in existence. But the world's time has changed since her existence was known to all and her duty became less significant.

'Do I still have a reason to interact with the world? Should I keep my title? Do I even deserve to call myself the great Ba-'

"Mistress!.. Mistress, I have been scurrying around the area trying to find you. If you intend to drift off on your own, I would greatly appreciate it if you would at least tell me or someone where you go." Adia expressed in one quick breath while trying to sound firm but failed miserably; unknowingly breaking her mistress's trail of thought.

"Adia, I no longer see the significance of trying to keep me under constant surveillance when no one outside of my domain can enter without my permission. After all, who would try to harm someone with my power let alone someone who is believed to be a myth?" she ended with a sigh in a tired tone.

"Mistress! You shouldn't speak of suck things of one's self!" Adia exclaimed in horror.

With restrained irritation, the mistress motioned her maid to sit on the grass close to her occupied seat. While tucking her legs underneath her to use as a cushion against the hard stone, her mistress laid her hands in her lap and began to feel the smooth skin against her furry hands as a means to draw comfort while deep in thought, wondering if this unnamed emptiness that keeps growing will ever subside or if it will eventually consume everything from the inside out until nothing remained.

"Mistress, if I may make a suggestion. Why not gaze upon the pool's reflection and see how your subjects on the earth's surface are fairing among the mortals?' Adia asked in fear of seeing her mistress return to a world of sad silence.

"Mmmm..." The mistress contemplated on this idea as if to appear in deep thought when really her thoughts were screaming to do something, instead she remained calm with a detached expression.

"Very well, I see no harm in peering into how well the lives of my subjects are fairing with the absence of my presence."

As she spoke her words, her hand raised to form a small, slow circle to transform the magic on the pool into a looking glass. As the water swirled with the lotus flowers, an image of a small boy appeared with sandy blond hair and ice blue eyes who seemed to be around the ages of three and four was playing with a small brown kitten.

The two in the image seemed to be playing a game from what the mistress could tell of follow the leader. The small boy would follow where the kitten would take him at a quick crawl for a while until the kitten decided to follow the boy when something shiny gleamed in the sunlight as it played a soft note in the breeze. The kitten would pout at the sudden intrusion of their game and gave the small child a couple of licks on his cheeks, nose, and eyelids for good measure until the child was rolling with laughter and would give the happy kitten another chase. At this delightful sight, the mistress's heart melted for only a fraction of a second before the pool swirled again, reveling different images similar to the first.

Eventually, the images changed from the backyards of small homes and the dark streets of alleyways to an image full of long grass that the mistress recognized as cattails as they eagerly soaked in the sunshine. Beyond the field of cattails there was some type of structure out in the center of the field with walls that curved in a cone like tower.

With a quick wave of her hand, the mistress zoomed in on the image to see that it was indeed a castle carved in yellow stone with red markings scattered in a decorative fashion. This palace was unlike any other the mistress had seen in the world of the humans. For its unique style and architecture could only be found in the one kingdom the mistress herself created as a sanctuary for all her subjects, who could no longer live in the world with the humans. This was one of the last places on earth that actually worshiped her as their savior in the early years of the earth.

The cat kigdom.

Surprisingly, seeing the same magnificent stone that she had designed and labored; to be still in one piece somehow brought comfort in mind.

From the corner of her eye, Adia could see the faint smile on her mistress's muzzle, secretly making her smile in pleasure before returning her attention back to the pool.

Out of sheer curiosity, the mistress zoomed even further toward the palace to get a full view of her only remaining masterpiece in the mortal world. The more the mistress saw of her work, the bigger her smile grew with pride.

Finally, the pool showed her the back of the palace where she knew a maze was placed as a way to protect the only gateway to and from the kingdom. Beyond the maze was a tower that was higher than the palace to reach the entrance of Cat's Paw Lake.

'Wait...'

"The tower is shorter?" The mistress cried in horror as she quickly rose from her seat.

Adia was silently startled by her mistress's sudden outburst and remained where she sat as she fearfully watched her mistress slowly become angry with each breath she took.

"Who or what has done such a deed as to cause My tower to shrink down half its size?"

She strode towards the edge of the pool and with a stiff command.

"Show me the events that has caused the tower to callapse."

The water swirled once again to display a different image.

What was shown in the water confused the mistress to see some sort of ball that contained nobles and lords from different sections of the world as well as the king who is in charge of the land with a variety of delicacies scattered among the tables.

In the center of a ring of cats, their were two felines who were dancing. One was male with a blue suite and hat who wore a mask to disguise his face even though his fur was obviously sunshine orange. The other was a female with a tan fur color who wore a buttercup yellow dress.

The partners danced in a fluid grace that sparked a style that was unfamiliar to the mistress but peaked her interest to learn. Eventually, the dancers stopped and was now being attacked by large green cats as all the other cats ran out of the room. However, the mistress was not interested in them, but rather kept her golden eyes on the cat who removed the mask to show her not only a creamy color around his muzzle to match his orange fur, but a pair of deep green eyes.

These eyes were unlike any other pair she has seen in the years she has lived in existence.

'Like lily pads that live in the pool itself.'

The mistress became in tranced by this mysterious cat that moved and fought with strength and grace as he and his small group traveled through the maze. At this point now, she began to take in his full form and was started to see that not only was he fully clothed but also had the built of a human male with hands and feet.

'Oh my...'

The young cat picked the girl who now sported short blue clothes up in his arms and carried her up the tower that was now in its full height. The mistress's heart practically skipped a beat at the cat's actions. Then all too soon her heart stopped cold to see a purple ragged cat that pushed a button on a small box as the tower blew puffs of dust clouds at random before shooting down to the ground.

The mistress quickly zoomed in on the inside of the tower to see if the brave cat survived from the fall. With a heavy sigh of relieve, the orange cat walked out of the destruction as if nothing had happen.

The truth of the tower's devastation made clear was now completely forgotten as she continued to watch the progress of the cat as he fenced the purple cat with eyes of red and blue. With one swing, the daring cat won in less than five seconds as the jewel crumbled along with the rest of most of his fur.

'Impressive'

Finally, the image disappears from the pool as the seen finishes with the handsome cat flying on a dark colored bird with another cat dangling from below. The mistress continued to stare at the now blank pool as her thoughts turned towards the wondrous orange colored cat.

From behind, Adia continued to sit where she lay as she looked confusingly at her mistress who was displaying strange expressions through the entire process of the pool's images.

The mistress slowly turned her head to show an actual huge smile on her muzzle that somehow gave Adia the impression that a plan was forming in her mistress's mind.

"Adia..."

'Oh dear..' "Yes mistress."

"I believe its high time that I started inviting some guests here. Don't you?"

"Yes mistress, uh.. Who shall I invite?"

"Only three... Toto, Muta, and... Baron."

Authors Note: Well, how's that so far? Sound good? Ok.

I'd like to give a big shout out to all the other authors who worked hard on all the stories that are posted. They are all amazing and well thought out. You guys are awesome to have such unique imaginations.

Oh.. I have question for all of you.

Can anyone take a guess at who the mistress is?

If you guess right, then your either really observant or Im really obvious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hi folks! Yes I have seen the movie, Whisper of the Heart; love the movie.**

**As for the concerns to continue the story, I have no intention in abandoning it; so there is no need to worry. However, the updates will be random. Im afraid I won't be able to keep up with a scheduled limit. I am still typing as I go along. But your wonderful reviews have encouraged me to finish the chapter. Without a further ado, on with the show!**

**Chapter 2: New Recipes Mixes Old Feelings**

"_Alright everyone, class has started and we need to get through today's lesson_."

Declared a familiar voice by the name of Haru as she used her best teaching voice after blowing her sliver whistle to announce the begging of class. Students in numbers of ten filed in a line while they awaited for the next activity that coach Yoshioka had on for today's agenda.

"_Now then, I want everyone to take two laps around the field as a warm up. Girls in the front make two single lines and boys in the back do the same. Ready.. Go_"

The teens were off at the sound of her whistle.

At most schools, students would grumble and complain about how coaches always hollered orders around while they sat back on the benches in order to watch them like hawks ready to catch its prey at the slightest movement. However, coach Yoshioka was different, not only would she firmly give orders without barking them, she would even join them in warm ups, jogs, games, sports, and lift weights with the guys. The coach was not like any other teacher the school had before. Which amazed Haru's old sensei who still worked as a history teacher to see his former student who was late to class with missing homework had become a responsible adult. For her participation in the students exercise programs alone, she had earned their respect and trust.

For Haru to be involved in the program with her students was the most natural thing in the world.

To be honest if anyone told her four years before the cat kingdom incident that she would be an athletic coach at the high school she had graduated from the three years prior AND be good in sports. She would have laughed herself silly before replying to the person about them having consuming too much soy sauce.

In the end it did happen, she got whisked away to an adventure full of cats, mazes, dancing, explosions, portals, and free falling in mid air before she became the woman she is now. Thanks to her friends from the Bureau, she is a strong independent with a desire to help those who need her.

Whether it's a broken arm, a lost pet, or a difficult assignment, Haru was there to give assistance to anyone. Course the new found habit of making different blends of tea in courtesy of Baron has been a constant reminded favorite from her best friend, Hiromi.

'_Baron_'

Her mind sighed softly as the familiar feeling of her heart and blood racing, which had nothing to do with her feet pounding into the dirt. Ever since that day she had confessed her feelings as a crush to Baron on the school's roof, no one could compare to his charm and manners. Not even Machida, who had asked her out after breaking up with his girlfriend could hold a candle to Baron's style and grace like moves.

' _Is it my imagination or do I really fall even harder for him every time I think of his smile_?'

With that thought, Haru shook her head to keep herself focused.

_'Get a grip Haru, Baron only sees you like a sister not a lover.'_

Her inner voice chided.

After a few minutes of her logic and feelings having an all out battle once again, in the end her logic won today's battle and had set her mind to a safer topic.

_'Well, today is Friday and that means I only have a few more hours before I can visit the Bureau for the weekend. I hope they'll like my new surprise recipe of angel food cake.'_

_"All right everyone, that was a good warm up. Now then, get a quick drink of water and we will begin practicing volleyball."_

The streets were bustling with on going people looking in stores for something unknowingly unique at the Crossroads. For Haru, she already knew what she was seeking that is unique and that something was sleeping in a chair disguised as a seat cushion.

She carefully walked up to the chair without disturbing him and began to softly scratch the left ear with the brown spot. The cat purred with pleasure before looking at her face and then down, casting his eyes to her right hand.

_"That bag better have something good for me. You disturbed a really good dream."_

He said in his gruff voice.

Haru laughed lightly at her friend's usual greeting.

_"You know I always bring loafs of angel food cake Muta. You don't need to ask."_

He grunted in response.

_"New recipe"_

_"Of course."_

_"What kind chicky?"_ He asked with a hint of impatience in his voice.

_"Peppermint angel food with marshmallow cream and sprinkled with crushed peppermints."_

_"Mmmm"_ with a grin in response.

_"Then why are you standing here chatting about it? Let's go and eat."_

_"Someone's impatient"_

_"Hey, the recipes you bring are often better than Baron's usual plain ones"_

_"Ok, since your in such a hurry..."_

Haru paused for dramatic effect having a slight smirk on her face.

_"I'll race you there."_

She ran down the street as the words left her mouth. Muta still dazed in his chair made a mad dash toward the Bureau where a cake would be waiting for him.

_"No fair chicky, you got a head start."_

Muta whined once he reached his destination now facing a cat size Haru who shrunk the moment she crossed the archway only a minute before Muta appeared.

Ever since her adventure from four years ago, Haru and the royal cat family of Queen Yuki and King Lune had become a frequent visit in the refuge. With more visitors accompanied with Haru's height, it became a little too crammed in the Bureau for it to go unnoticed.

Simple solution; Lune used the power of the new cat's eye crown to create a small silver ring with a cat eye shaped emerald at its center. The way Lune described it, the gem was laced with magic that would cause her to shrink when entering the refuge as well as be used as a distress signal to the king and queen of cats.

_"Oh Muta there's no need to pout, you caught up to me real quick."_

Muta opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by another voice.

_"Face it tubby, you need the exercise and Haru's the coach who can give it to you."_ Came a voice on top of the podium.

_"Who are you calling tubby, chicken wings!"_

_"The chicken insult again? Do I need to give you lessons on how to give better combats?"_

_"I don't need a birdbrains help in order to pluck your feathers."_

At that remark, Toto decided to swoop down and try to take a clump of fur with his talons.

_"Hey, Knock it off!"_

Muta trying to put up a fight that resembled a boxing sport.

As the fight and insults continued, Haru became distracted by the sound of shoes hitting the cobblestones. At the sound of each step, her heart pounded in tune with the clicking of one shoe then the other.

_'Shoot, even at the smallest thing he does makes my insides go crazy.'_

She placed an easy smile on her face as she turned to greet her dear friend.

_"Hello Baron. How are you this evening?"_

As custom for gentlemen of his time, he placed his cane behind and took his top hat over his heart before bowing in the presence of a lady.

_"Good evening Haru. In answer to your question, I am exceptionally well this evening."_

_'Especially now that you're here.'_

Baron added in his mind.

_"Thank you for asking. How are you faring this evening if I may ask?"_

He asked while placing his hat on its proper place.

_"I've been good, Baron. Thank you"_

_'Is it just me or do I sound like a convicted child being asked how I behaved in school?'_

Haru thought in embarrassment.

_"Good. Well then, shall we continue your visit inside the Bureau over some tea."_

_"Right. Oh.. Baron I hope you don't mind, but I brought over a new angel food cake recipe to go with your tea."_

Baron glanced down at Haru's hand to see a small white bag before setting his gaze on her delicate face. To any man she would have been just another face in the crowd. To Baron, her face possessed an innocents that would only be seen on children not on adults and yet... that innocents somehow remained with a spark of kindness.

Right now, that was what Baron saw; a face that was nervous about something so small and simple. He gave a gentle smile before taking Haru's burden off her hands.

_"Its no trouble at all Haru. In fact, I look forward to your recipes. Like my tea, they are your own special blend."_

At his compliment, Haru could feel her cheeks begin to burn as she strolled behind him through the double doors.

_"Haru, how in the world do you come up with such good pastries?"_

Yuki asked while taking another bite out of gooey cake.

_"Inspiration, I suppose."_

Haru concluded while blushing that accompanied with a grateful smile.

_"Well, whatever inspires you Haru, its both genius and delicious."_

Said a dark purple cat that sat next to his beautiful wife on the sofa.

Muta grunted, _"Yah its good, but I still say it needs more marshmallow cream."_ around a mouth full of a separate cake so there would be plenty for everyone.

_"How could you possibly know what needs to be added when you keep shoving that cake into that black hole mouth of yours?"_ Toto taunted.

Muta opened his mouth as though he were about to say something when Baron spoke from his favorite chair before another fight could be issued.

_"Haru, how have you been handling yourself as an exercise coach?"_

_"It helps pay the bills and it keeps me active during the day while my mother travels to different places for new ideas on quilt patterns."_

Haru being grateful that Baron had changed the subject to something else.

_"Oh, where has your mother gone to now, Haru?"_

Yuki asked out of eager curiosity.

_"From my last conversation with her on the phone, she said she was in South America."_

Haru couldn't help but smile at the memory of her mother telling her about a woman named Ama who she had befriended in the village. Her mother had described her as a fifty year old grandmother who was in charge of teaching young girls how to make cloth from multiple threads using some sort of sliding wood instrument. Even though Naoko was older than the woman's other students, she was more than happy to teach her the ropes.

_"When does she plan to return from her trip, Haru?"_ Lune asked.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Haru turned to her friend and answered.

_"Im not quite sure on what day she plans to be home since she still wants to visit Ireland so she can learn how to stitch Celtic designs."_

_"Well then, Im happy to hear that your mother is having a wonderful time in her travels, Haru. However, you never quite answered my first question about your career ocupation."_

Baron asked in concern for her well being after taking a dainty sip from his cup.

_"Right"_

Haru replied while raising her hand to rub the back of her neck from embarrassment.

_"Well as a coach, Im able to do fun activities with the students while getting enough exercise to keep up with Muta on his runs here."_

_"Haru, the last thing you need is more exercise in order to beat moo-zilla."_ Toto remarked around a chuckle.

_"HEY! I resent that you birdbrain!"_

Muta shouted at Toto from his standing position next to the cupboard.

_"Will you please be so kind as to restrain yourselves from remarking one another for the time being or if must, please take it outside."_ Baron sighed.

Without another word, the cat and bird left the office into the courtyard in order to begin round number infinity. The others giggled at their expense as they continued their conversation from one topic to another for hours.

From on top of the mantle of the fireplace, the clock tolled eight times before Haru realized how late it was. With a sad regret, she hugged Lune and Yuki while saying goodnight to them before turning her gaze to Baron. Her heart pounded loudly in her hears as she stared at his eyes. His eyes that seemed to sparkle every time she came to visit but strangely dimmed when her visits ended for the night. She wanted to believe that the change was significant in some way to his feelings for her, but no; she didn't dare let herself fall into a false hope of obtaining a love that could never happen between them.

She mentally shook her head as she hugged Baron affectionately with one arm around his neck and the other around his chest. He gave her a tight squeeze before she pulled away and gave them a final smile for the day as she replied good-night and left the Bureau.

She said good-night to Muta and Toto as they continued to battle each other, them barley even hearing her as she passed by. She giggled at their antics as she found her way back to the crossroads and started taking the usual path to her home.

_'Why do I continue to torture myself about my feelings toward Baron?'_ Haru sighed.

_'I mean Baron has been alive since he was created by a toy maker in the days of kings and lords, yet he still looks like he hasn't aged a day pass twenty-four; including when I first met him!'_

_'Plus, were different in more ways than one. But, no matter how much I look at the difficulties surrounding it; I still come up with the same conclusion that..'_

_'I love him.'_

_'Mind, heart, and soul; Im his no matter how much I try to grasp the logic of moving on.'_

_'I can't.'_

Haru trudged to her old house as her mind continued to plunge into turmoil until she finally reached the front door. Not bothering to turn on the lights or to change out of her blue sweats and jacket, she went straight to bed and began to sob uncontrollably into her pillow at the familiar pain of a broken heart.

**Authors Note: I know, the ending is really sad but I couldn't think what else to do. The story gets better, just hang in there. Im still looking for tips and advice on correction if anyone wishes to donate.**

**Oh by the way, if any one wishes to try the peppermint angel food cake; you can find the recipe on google. Its really good (mouth is watering... napkin please).**


	3. Chapter 3 The News Travel Fast

**Chapter 3: The News Travel Fast**

**Authors Note: Hi folks! Sorry about the constant changes I've made in each chapter. I promise It's not to confuse you; I'm trying to improve the mistakes I made as I go along. Well, enough of my blabbering. Let the curtain rise! **

_My Lord Baron,_

_I have just recently heard tales of your heroic deeds concerning the happenings of the great cat kingdom and I must say, I'm quite impressed with your achievements against all odds. But fate does work in unusual ways and I can see that you are favored in her blessing. In regards to your success, I request to make your acquaintance and to hopefully interest you with some distinctive propositions that may work in your favor. I would be honored if you and your two associates would accept my invitation of hospitality._

_Once you have made your decision, you will need to duplicate the seal tied in string onto the upper right corner of the page in ink. The magic in the seal will act as a means for transportation. I happily await for your arrival my Lord, I trust that you won't disappoint me._

_The Protector of Cats_

The mistress read aloud after reversing the invitation five times and rereading it seven times until it met to her approval. Not wanting anything to go amiss, she placed a small enchantment on the letter to where the words would translate to the intended readers language. Not being sure of herself if her own native tongue was long gone; it wouldn't surprise her though.

With absolute care, the mistress rolled up her carefully written letter once the ink had set. She tied a golden string around it to keep it in place before setting the hot wax at the center of her tied bow.

From the many jewels that decorated her form, she chose the simplest of them all; in plain sight of anyone's eye, it was considered the smallest piece the mistress had in her possession. But that opinion of anyone was no concern of her's; to her, the small greenish, blue turquoise object was of great importance that represented of what she stood for.

With a mixture of pride and excitement, she pressed the small symbol into the wax. Once she was satisfied with her handiwork, she reached to the left side of her writing table where a long rope like chord was hanging. She gave it two tugs in order to summon her maid for assistance. In less than one minute, Adia came strolling into her mistress's chambers and gave a respectable bow on her arms and legs with her forehead touching the cold limestone.

"_How may I serve you today, my mistress?" _Adia asked in a calmly gentle voice.

"_Rise Adia, I have an important message that needs to be delivered today."_

Adia rose from her position while asking, _"To whom will I send the message, mistress?"_

"_To the residence of my three guests at the..."_

"_Cat. Bureau. I believe it's called." _The mistress concluded after a moment of thought.

"_Right away mistress." _with that final say, Adia turned around on her heel with the scroll in her hand and retreated from sight in order to fulfill her mistress's request.

Once Adia was out of her line of sight, the mistress couldn't help but smile like a crocodile that ate a full meal as she began to set her plans into motion.

'_Phase one is complete, now I hope that fate will be on my side and he will accept. Of course, fate had to be on side when I stumbled across him in the looking glass. Its no mere coincidence that he has the same physical qualities that I posses. Is it too good to be true? That fate finally heard my weeping heart and had finally bestowed a partner onto me? Is it his destiny to rule by my side and share my eternal life with?...Yes! It must be true, it shall be true.'_

At the mistress's surprise, her heart began to flutter and pound at the thought of having the prospect of a chosen mate. She giggled at these new feelings of anxiety and joy that now replaced her sadness and emptiness.

"_Let the fun begin." _she purred.

The room was basked in candlelight, giving it a warm glow against the night sky that cloaked itself with the moon and stars. The tables were laid with delicious foods of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, potato salad, mixed fruits and vegetables, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and etc.

No skewed mice, raw fish, or catnip flavored wine; just real food at a wonderful party.

The guests that were dancing was a mixture of humans and felines. The felines were dressed in fancy gowns and snazzy suits like the humans. At this party there were no strange entertainers performing and no malicious ex-cat king to toss them out the window. Only guests who were dancing or interacting.

Among the group of humans, Haru stood at the threshold of the doorway, wearing the same yellow dress as the one from the cat kingdom, only without the choking white collar and the oversized green fan.

She looked to her left and saw Hiromi wearing a powder blue dress with glitter that twinkled like stars. From a distance, Haru could tell she was talking while giggling with a man dressed in a white tux who was no other than Japan's pin-pon champion; Tsuge. To her right, she saw her mother wear a ruby red dress that shimmered like silk as she made conversation with the feline royalty of Lune and Yuki. From behind them, Muta not being dressed for the party was by the food table as he scarfed down a whole turkey without the assistance of a plate or fork. On the other side of the room, Toto was swinging his head and wings from side to side like he was swaying in time with the music that was playing.

Without budging an inch from her spot, Haru scanned her surroundings once, twice, three times to find her loved ones as well as unknown faces having a good time.

'_But where is Baron?' _Haru asked herself silently as she slowly made her way around the room looking for the gentleman who held her heart.

She wondered around the room until something warm touched her shoulder, when she looked it was a hand, but it didn't belong to just anyone's, it was Baron's. Her heart gave a happy leap at the sight of him in his blue cape and feathered hat without the mask. He gave her a gentle smile before taking her hand in his in order to place a chaste kiss on it, causing Haru to blush a bright red by his forwardness.

His mouth was moving as though he was saying something.

'_What did he say?' _Haru being too distracted by the sound of her pounding heart as well as him being so close.

'_Did...he ask me to dance?... Yes, that must be it.' _Haru concluded her question and gave a slow nod.

His grin only increased as he lead her to the center of dancers without letting go of the hand he had kissed. He placed one hand around her waist and the other grasped hers as she placed her paw on his broad shoulder.

'_Wait a minute... a paw?' _

Haru began to inspect her face as she gained a fur coat and triangular ears on top. As the realization came, her fear of it never did. In fact she didn't care in the least. All she cared about right now was the handsome catman that was holding her so gently, waiting for her consent to be his partner and she had no intention of disappointing him; with changed appearances or not. They danced for what could have been hours or minutes, it was untelling as they focused their eyes on the other in their slow circular movements. They slowly began to draw their faces closer without breaking eye contact. Haru could feel his warm breath has he continued to draw closer. Another second and-

'_Bing di-ding, bing di-ding, bing di-ding, bing di-ding.'_

'_What?'_

Haru slowly opened her eyes to find her cow shaped alarm clock going off as rays sunlight came through her window to announce that the next day had begun.

'_It..was all..a dream?' _Haru thought in dismay as she turned off the culprit to her shattered dream and began to change from her coach uniform to a pair of faded jeans and a lime green t-shirt.

"_What should I do today?" _Haru mumbled to herself as she began to search her kitchen for ingredients to make pancakes for breakfast.

"_Mmm...I need to finish grading my students essays on professional athletes for Monday, but that will only take me about few hours to finish. What else... mom's not here and Hiromi's with Tsuge in America for his pin-pon match."_

Haru stacked her plate with steaming cakes and stuck her fork into the heep before stuffing it into her mouth as she began to ponder on her options.

'_If nothing else, I could go to the Bureau for a visit,... ya, that's what I'll do after my grading's are done.' _With that satisfied thought, Haru continued to eat before setting her plans into action.

'_How did I talk myself into doing this?' _Haru fretted as she carried another recipe of mulberry angel food cake with vanilla flavored icing while walking down the crossroads towards the café tables.

'_Enough already Haru, it was just a dream, it didn't mean anything!' _Haru chided herself of such foolishness as she looked over into Muta's chair, except.. the chair was empty.

"_Huh...Muta's not in his usual spot today. Must be at the Bureau already then." _Haru not being worried since it wasn't the first time Muta decided to stay in the refuge to read his paper or to pick more fights with Toto.

She shrugged it off as she took off towards the obstacle course like neighborhood, after all she needed to stay fit for her energetic students and her fast moving friend in order to keep up.

Once she reached the archway that was the borderline between her world and the refuge, she began to feel the familiar process of shrinking before she stole herself a few minutes to catch her breath. As Haru began to walk past the podium, she looked up to find it empty with no trace of the crow gargoyle.

"_Mmmm...maybe he's inside with Muta and Baron." _For some odd reason, Haru had a feeling that her words would not be the case as she reach the wooden doors. She stood there for two minutes waiting to hear a sound from inside the Bureau; there wasn't and the silence only increased her fear that something was wrong.

She opened the door with force, nearly tearing it from its hinges as she scrambled her way in. Haru frantically scanned around the room with her eyes and found no Muta, no Toto, and no Baron; they were gone.

As difficult as it was, Haru forced her brain to think of a reasonable explanation in order to keep herself calm.

"_They could've gone off to help someone...ya, that's it, there just answering a cry for help and they probably won't be back until tomorrow...Right."_

Wrong, it still didn't feel right; she had a gut feeling that something was still amiss, but what.

Haru inspected the room again looking in every nook and cranny in order to find some sort of clue, anything that would give her a hint to her friends' whereabouts. She looked on the mantle, the chairs and couch, the coffee table, the book shelves; nothing so far.

'_Next is Baron's desk.' _

Haru shuffled through the folders and books that laid neatly on Baron's desk until she found something peculiar on the floor. In plain view, it was a corner piece of a dirt-yellow colored paper sticking out from underneath the desk. Haru took it out of it's hiding place to get a better look at the crinkled paper. Unfortunately for Haru, she couldn't make out heads or tales of what was on the paper. They were all scribbled pictures similar to the scroll she received four years ago as a payment list for saving a cat prince's life.

'_Did Lune send the message? Is the kingdom in trouble?' _Haru didn't remember Lune being distressed last night.

' _Not unless something happened after I left.'_

Whatever the case may be, Haru had to do something if her friends were in trouble, she didn't know what she would do if anything happened to them. She needed to contact Lune and Yuki and demand to know what was going on. From the feeling she was receiving right now from her heart and gut, all she knew was that something was wrong.


	4. Chapter 4 Mysterious Markings

**Chapter 4: Mysterious Markings **

With the angle food cake put away and everything else back in its proper place, Haru collected the parchment and made her way out the door.

With a mixture of nerves and anxiety, Haru lifted her hand that revealed the cat's eye ring and directed her aim towards the archway. Determination keeping her fears at bay, she drawn out the image of the cat kingdom in her mind to give the ring an extra nudge of magic. Within less than sixty seconds, the archway began to glow a bright blue as the air buzzed with a whoosh sound. As soon as the portal opened, Haru sprinted like a cheetah on a hunt towards the swirling blue before it vanished with a soft ding sound.

Unlike her last visit to the kingdom, Haru found herself in a spacious room that she never saw before. The room was a perfect 360-degree circle with red curtains concealing half the windows. There was no furniture except for two large wooden chairs in the center of the room. The largest chair had engraved fish on the head set while the smaller version on its left had engravings of cattails. The decor was nice, but Haru didn't have time to dally around since both thrones were vacant and she needed to find Lune and Yuki.

After ten minutes of wondering the hallways and searching in any cloth covered doors, Haru finally found a pink cat dressed in only a veil carrying a stack of fabrics down the hall.

"_Um... excuse me, could you tell me where I might find the king and queen?" _

The pink servant turned to see who the speaker was, she was so surprised that she almost dropped her load._ "M-Miss Haru...what are you doing here?"_

"_I need to talk to Lune and Yuki, do you know where they are?" _Haru asked again.

"_Y-yes, I believe their majesties are still in the library."_

"_Great, thank you, ahh...how do I get there?" _

The pink cat turned her head towards the hall from behind, _"Just go down that hallway, go up the stairs on your left, and go all the way to the end of the hall where you should see a large curtain with an image of a scroll above it. You'll be able to locate their majesties from in there Miss Haru." _Turning her head forward to face the young woman again.

Haru nodded her head,_ "Straight ahead, left stairway, door with a scroll; got it, again, thank you." _

Haru dashed in the direction the pink cat had instructed until she ran through the red curtain and almost knocked down Lune in the process as she collided into his chest head on.

"_Ompf ...Haru?..What are you doing here?" _

Once Haru made sure Lune and herself were alright, she gave her reply in embarrassment,_ "Sorry Lune, I did intend to run into you, but not like that." _

"_Its fine, no harm done." _Lune rubbed over the sore spot on his chest. _"Again, what are you doing here Haru? Did something happen recently?" _

"_You tell me Lune. Is there a problem in your kingdom that needed the Cat Bureau's assistance? If there is, I want to know so I can help."_

Lune gave her a puzzled look,_ "I'm sorry Haru, but there's no problem here...not since my father blew up the tower." _

Haru blinked in shock,_ "Then...you didn't send this letter to Baron?" _Haru raised the parchment still clutched in her hand to show her friend.

Lune quickly scanned through the letter before looking back at Haru._ "Haru, I'm afraid to say this, but it wasn't me or Yuki who wrote this." _

Haru sighed,_ "Well...can you tell me what it says and who signed it?" _

Lune shook his head sadly,_ "I can't Haru, its not written in cat." _Lune gave her back the parchment.

"_What do you mean its not written in cat? Aren't the symbols the same as-"_

"_Its not." _Lune interrupted,_ "There's no pictures of cat figures or fish and eyes to help clarify it...Isn't Baron at his office to tell you what it says?" _

"_No Lune, Baron, Toto, and Muta are gone. I went over there after lunch for a visit, but it was empty. This letter was under Baron's desk when I was looking around."_

"_So..do you think there just answering a call for help?" _

"_Its possible, but it worries me not knowing the situation, especially when I don't know who or where this letter came from." _

Lune inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly,_ "If it'll help ease your mind Haru, your more than welcome to use the library. Yuki's still in here somewhere, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you translate the scrolls."_

"_Thank you Lune, who knows maybe I'll find a symbol or two that'll match." _Haru couldn't help but smile as she shrugged her shoulders.

Lune returned the smile,_ "With you determination skills, I'm sure you'll find something. If you'll excuse me Haru, I need to contact Natori from retirement...apparently he's the only one who knows where the Cat Laws are kept." _With that said, Lune left to do his duties while Haru went off in search of Yuki.

"_Find anything interesting?" _Yuki came up next to Haru, looking over her friend who was squinting her eyes in concentration as her gaze shifted back and forth across the many scrolls that lay across the table.

Haru sighed, _"No, not yet, but I'll keep looking." _

"_Haru, I know your determined to read the letter, but keep in mind that Baron can take care of himself. Plus, he's not alone; he has his friends with him. They'll come back and be fine." _Yuki tried ease her friend's worries.

"_Yuki, he doesn't have all his friends with him right now. I know you're trying to help me and I appreciate it...but I want to make sure this letter isn't some type of threat or something."_

Knowing that her friend would not be swayed to relax, Yuki nodded and continued her search for any other scrolls that might prove something useful, leaving Haru to ponder on her own.

'_Come on Haru, it shouldn't be all that hard to figure out a few written pictures. I mean it was easy deciphering the scroll that happy brown cat gave me...Then again, I already knew what it said after it was too late'_

"_What should I do?" _Haru whispered so softly that not even the wind could catch it._ 'I know these pictured symbols look similar to the cat's design, but Lune already said its not in his language. So...who's language is it?'_

A good amount of time passed by as the two friends' worked hard to solve the encrypted like letter until a brown cat with rosy cheeks and dog like ears came bursting through the library curtain.

"_Your Majesty, the Head of State Akshan and his wife Kalika from the desert regions are requesting some information on how to grow cattails from the sandy deserts."_

"_Mmmm...cattails in sand...yes, I think there is a spell in here somewhere." _Yuki walked out of sight now on a different mission.

"_There are deserts' in the cat kingdom?" _Haru raising an eyebrow at her question.

Nodding his head enthusiastically,_ "Why of course Miss Haru, there are deserts that are hot, lush forests that are full of plants, and many other places in the world of cats." _

"_Really, I thought the cat kingdom was just cattail fields with a castle." _

"_Oh no Miss Haru, the castle is only the crown jewel as well as the oldest structure in our world. There are many different sections out there with its own leaders."_

"_I'm not sure that I understand."_

"_I'm surprised Miss Haru, all the leaders from different regions came to see you at your celebration when you were engaged to His Highness."_

Haru couldn't help but feel annoyed by the cat's assumption of her ever agreeing to such an arrangement. _'After all this time, he still thinks I actually had severe wedding jitters when I escaped.' "First of all, the engagement was a misunderstanding and Yuki makes a far better ruler than I ever would. Secondly, I think I do remember seeing cats with different outfits; were they the ones sitting around the tables in a circle?" _

"_Yes, they are the leaders who manage their own territories and help keep the kingdom in balance."_

"_So...its like Japan having a leader, as well as America, Russia, and so on." _

"_I don't know the workings in your world Miss Haru, but the territories consists of leaders from the Mao, Qitat, Chat, Cattus, Gata, Pisica, and Kut regions."_

'_Huh...I guess our worlds aren't so different; go figure. If I wasn't so worried and Lune and Yuki weren't busy, I'd ask them to show me around the cat world. I bet Baron would be interested in seeing more of the kingdom, Toto could explore new skies, and Muta could eat different foods._

_I wonder how different the cultures are from Lune's- ...Wait, stop the presses! Lune said the letter wasn't in his language but could it be that it was written from one of the other cat regions that Natori just said. Mmm...it's a long shot but it's the best lead I have at the moment.' _just as Haru was about to ask Natoru, Yuki came back with the scroll in her paws.

"_I believe this is what our friend, Akshan was looking for Natoru." _Yuki handing over the scroll.

"_Thank you, Your Highness." _Natoru gave a final bow before exiting the library.

"_Yuki, the kingdom consists of multiple cultures, does that include different languages?" _

"_I'm afraid not Haru, cat speech is all the same, but if your referring to writing, cats would change a marking or two but in the end it would make no difference."_

The hope that Haru had allowed to take root had now just withered under the intensity of Yuki's words. Haru lead out a huge breath of air, _"Well it was worth a shot...no matter I'll keep looking." _Haru continued her task in searching as Yuki continued to bring more scrolls.

A couple of hours ticked by and the two friends hadn't gotten any closer than before. Eventually, Lune came back with Natori following from right behind him. _"How the search going Haru?"_

"_I'm afraid we haven't come close in the search, Lune. You weren't kidding when you said it wasn't the same. " _Lune gave her a sympathetic smile.

"_Your Majesty, you requested my presence to find some hidden documents." _Notori's voice gave the young king's mind a sudden jerk to his other reason of being in the library.

"_Yes Natori, I need to find where the Cat Law scrolls are being kept, if you please."_

"_Right away Your Majesty." _Natori walked along the long table to fulfill one duty to royalty before going back to his private hut that rested under an oak tree. Never thinking he would be back here again since the last monarch put lot of unnecessary stress on him for trying to keep a human bride to join the royal cat family. He glanced briefly down at the parchments that lay scattered in front of the young human female before taking his slanted eyes toward the shelves. The purpled robed cat only took four steps before he suddenly went silently still. _'Did I...just see what I think...I saw? No couldn't be...could it?' _He took in a shaky breath before looking back over Haru's shoulder to get a better look at the right hand corner of the yellow colored paper. What he saw only confirmed his suspicions._ "Young lady, where did you find that symbol?" _Natori pointed on the page.

"_You mean the one that looks like the head of a lacrosse with a short stick?"_

"_Unlike your first gift for your friend, this symbol stands for a musical instrument called a sistrum. Now, where did you find this? "_

"_I found it at the Cat Bureau, why? Do you know something about this letter?" _Haru held her breath as she waited for the answer to spring foreword.

"_I don't know what it says, but I know where I've seen that particular symbol and who it belongs to."_

"_Where have you seen it Natori?" _Lune couldn't help but be intrigued at the sudden discovery.

"_I suppose you'll want me to show you Your Highness?" _

"_By all means, please show us Natori."_

Natori sighed,_ "Very well Your Majesty." _Natori exited out of the library as the rest of the company followed behind.

They walked out of the palace and made there way onto the pathway above the maze toward the remaining section of the main tower._ "It's a fortunate event that your father didn't destroy the historical section of the tower or there wouldn't be any history left at all." _Natori commented as they entered through one of the openings in the wall.

"_So...the symbol is somewhere on these walls?" _Eagerness laced through Haru's voice.

"_Precisely Miss Haru. If I'm not mistaken, the symbol that you seek is over on the left side of the criminal's history." _

"_Muta is not a crimal." _Haru spoke, defended of her friend.

"_Mmm...yes." _Natori not paying Haru any mind to what she said. Instead he kept his focus on the single marking of a short pole that held an incomplete long hoop with three lines running across the inside it. Making it look like Haru's description of a lacrosse stick.

"_Natori, you mentioned that you knew who the symbol belonged to; who is it?" _The snowy white cat asked for the first time.

"_If you look underneath the symbol, you'll notice three other symbols that are circled with two loaves, a vase, and a sitting female. That indicates the name to whom the symbol belongs to." _

"_What is the person's name?" _Haru getting a little impatient by how slow Natori was explaining.

"_Her name is...Bastet." _


	5. Chapter 5 Knowledge is Power

**Chapter 5: Knowledge is Power**

"_Bastet...Who is she?" _Haru asked.

Natori turned away from the wall to face the rest of the company. _"Bastet is the founder and creator of the cat world. According to the depictions displayed on the walls, she originally ruled the desert regions of the human world. To the humans, she was known as the goddess of cat protection." _

"_Father never told me about the origins of our world. I wonder why he never mentioned this?" _Lune pondered to himself.

Natori adjusted his large glasses, _"It's not surprising Your Majesty, since the crimes of Renaldo Moon had somehow eluded from his mind."_

"_What else can you tell us about her?" _Haru asked, trying to get back to the subject at hand.

"_Not much, Im afraid, under her protection, cats and humans were inseparably bonded until the jackal took reign and the humans became acceptable to dogs. In order to protect her people, Bastet used her powerful magic to transform a new dimension for felines who no longer wanted to stay in the human world. She even built the castle, maze, and this tower before choosing one of your decedents Your Majesty as the appointed leader of the feline race."_

"_What happened to her?" _Yuki asked.

"_No one knows Your Majesty, she completely disappeared as soon as the palace was finished." _

Haru wanting to know more; asked, _"What about her symbol?...You mentioned earlier that it was a...musical instrument?" _

"_The sistrum, you are referring to was one of Bastet's favorite instruments. Besides her incredible power, she was well known for her love in music."_

After a few minutes of digesting Natori's information, Haru looked through the scroll she brought along; carefully analyzing the black drawings._ 'If what Natori says is true and this being her writing. Why would she come back after all this time? If she really contacted the Bureau, why would she need their help if she has so much power?' _Getting the answers she was desperate for had only left her with more unsolved questions. She still couldn't read what the darn thing said, but she now had a name and possibly a lead. She rolled up the parchment before directing her attention to her companions._ "Thank you Natori for telling us her story. You've been a great help to us." _She bowed from the waist up to show her appreciation, Natori nodded in acknowledgment. Turning to the royal couple, _"Thank you for helping me with the letter. If you hadn't helped me with the translation, I don't know what I would have done." _

Yuki walked over to Haru in order to embrace her dear friend, _"Don't be silly Haru, your our friend and we'd do anything for you, all you have to do is ask." _

"_Thanks Yuki, that means a lot to me. Well I'll see myself out now, I'll need to get to the library before it closes. If Bastet really did live in my world before coming here then I might find more information in the history catalogs." _

"_You'll let us know if you find anything right?" _Lune asked.

"_You'll be the second to know if I find something."_

"_The second?" _

"_If I did the research then wouldn't I be the first to know and then telling the next person as second?" _Haru couldn't help but smile as she gave Lune a gentle nudge, earning her a smile from him.

"_If you say so, just make sure to tell us what you find."_

"_No problem." _With the final farewells, Haru made herself another portal with the power of her ring in order to return to her world; there was work to be done.

Only thirty minutes after leaving the tower, Haru made her way to the library and was now skimming through the spines of books in the history section. _'History of Machines...Leaders of the Ages...World's Pangaea...Oooh, Legends and Myths Encyclopedia, maybe this will help.' _Haru pulled out the book and added it to the pile in her arms before heading towards the checkout, deeming that six books would be a good start.

"_Hello dearie, what can I checkout for you today?"_, came a sweet, elderly voice from behind the desk as she got out her date stamp and accepted the young lady's card.

"_Hi Mrs. Togachi, I'm just borrowing some history books for today."_

"_I'm surprised, usually you go for the exercise and sport books."_

Haru just shrugged her shoulders, _"It's something different."_

"_Alright dearie, here's your card and the books are due two weeks from today."_

"_Thank you Mrs. Togachi, have a wonderful evening." _Haru collected the books back into her arms as the elderly woman smiled while replying, _"You too dearie, you best be getting back home now before it gets too dark out." _

"_I will." _Haru left the library and hurried herself down the familiar path. Unlike the direction the librarian had advised her to, Haru made her way back to the Refuge where she could comfortably research and keep a look out for her friends; should they come back tonight or early morning.

With the chandelier lit up and the books laid across the small coffee table, Haru selected one of the books from her pile and began to research. The first book narrowed down the locations for deserts; with her trusty pen and paper, she wrote down the Goby, Mahabi, Sahara, and etc. before moving on to the next book. By the third book, Haru managed to pinpoint an exact location to Bastet's ruling; Egypt and found that the jackal Natori had mentioned was called Anubis.

By the time she completed her collection, she had written a page full of notes and key points concerning Natori's information. Haru had learned that Bastet was worshiped in the Delta city of Bubastis around 3000 B.C. She was known as a happy and benign deity who brought good fortune, music, dance, and joy to all. Even the symbol of a sistrum was found in one of the books. What really concerned Haru was the fact that Bastet had nicknames like the Devouring Lady and The Tearer.

'_If she's supposed to be a protector, then why have nicknames of consuming and breaking? Were the humans terrified of her before taking the jackal's side?...It's obvious that she protects her feline people, but would she harm others in order to do it?' _She looked at the clock on the mantle and saw that it was past midnight. She set the books and notes aside before walking towards the window and found the Refuge shrouded in darkness like a thick blanket. Hoping to catch a sight of Toto's graceful flight or Muta being dangled by his claws as though he were disguised to be a second moon in the sky.

Nothing.

"_Come back safely." _she whispered a silent prayer before turning her back towards the window as she headed towards Baron's wide variety of books on the shelf to find more information while passing the time as she waits.

Despite her constant worries, she was willing to wait until morning for their return ; if not, she would have to take matters into her own hands and make it her mission to help her friends, even if it meant the cost of her own safety.

**Authors Note: I would like to congratulate those who reviewed my story and gave their opinions on the identity of the mistress. In a way you all unintentionally guessed right, even though you guys had said Louise. Kudos Yay You! **


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